What
is PushButtonRadioTune ?
PushButtonRadioTune
( shortened form : PbRadioTune
) provides Doppler shift tuning for satellite operation with
mic-button radios or radios equipped with frequency UP / DOWN
push buttons. Tune your radio to the desired frequency or
station and PbRadioTune does the rest. No need to manually
correct your radio for Doppler shift during the pass of the
satellite. PbRadioTune is a driver especially designed to
work with the satellite tracking software Orbitron
written by Sebastian Stoff. It
works as a software interface between the satellite tracking
program making Doppler shift calculations and your radio.
Push
button (Mic-button) radios can be used as either a receiver
or a transmitter or both at the same time (provided that the
receiver and the transmitter are separate devices).
PbRadioTune
has been designed to be fully compatible with the hardware
interface used with InstantTune for InstantTrack described
in the article “Satellite Tracking with push button
receiver and InstantTune”. For this reason the same
pinout on the parallel port has been used (read the article
on page 3).
PbRadioTune
can be used with a USB port provided that USB2LPT 1.7 is
used.
Features
* Works with Orbitron software (more informations about Orbitron "here").
* Windows 98 / 2000 / 2003 / XP / Vista compatible.
* Uses a PC parallel port.
* USB port compatible when used with USB2LPT 1.7 port converter (more informations about USB2LPT "here").
* Uses a very simple and easy to build hardware interface between the computer and the radios (see it "here").
* Mic-button (or push button) radios can be activated using either a mouse or the PC keyboard.
* 25, 100, 1000 Hz frequency step (can be extended to other values).
* Allows duplex Doppler shift compensation (provided TX and RX are separate devices).
* Uses Orbitron Doppler frequency calculation to compensate the receiver or transmitter for Doppler shift.
* Accuracy : 1 second (when Orbitron is set to this value).
* Frequency reset ability.
* Offers an additional channel that can be activated automatically or manually.
* Offers a second additional channel with manual activation.
* Works when minimized.
* Contains a comprehensive “Help” file.
* The section controlling the receiver (Tune RX) is fully compatible with the hardware interface used with InstantTune (same parallel port pinout) (read the article about the InstantTune hardware interface on Page 3).
Screenshots
![PbRadioTune receiving data from Orbitron and sending it to the radio hardware interface via LPT/USB port. PbRadioTune receiving data from Orbitron and sending it to the radio hardware interface via LPT/USB port.](images/Orbitron&PbRadioTune1a.jpg)
PbRadioTune
and Orbitron
![PbRadioTune and its 'Help' file. PbRadioTune and its 'Help' file.](images/Orbitron&PbRadioTune3a.jpg)
Downloading
and installing PbRadioTune
Prior anything else...
Orbitron is supposed to be installed on your computer. If none, install it now and learn how it works.
PbRadioTune is
contained in a zip file.
Download
“PbRadioTune.zip” on your desktop. Unzip the file
on your desktop also. A new PbRadioTune folder is created.
Move the new PbRadioTune folder to the folder where Orbitron
is installed. Open the PbRadioTune folder and verify that the
files listed below are present. Then open
PbRadioTune-ReadmeFirst.txt and follow the installation
instructions.
Contents of the
PbRadioTune zip
file
* Inpout32.dll
* PbRadioTune.exe
* PbRadioTune-ReadmeFirst.txt
* Traduction française.txt
Note : The file named
“PbRadioTune-ReadmeFirst.txt” is a copy of
the “Help” file contained in the program. This
file is needed to install the program. Use a text editor like
Windows Notepad to open it.
Do you encounter a problem with the file "PbRadioTune.zip" ? Click " here " (file size 410 Ko) to download PbRadioTune in a self extracting file (SFX).
Put this SFX file on your desktop. In Orbitron folder create a new folder called PbRadioTune. Drag and drop the SFX file in the new folder you have just created. Double click on the SFX file. Follow the instructions in the installer. When the four files listed above are installed you can delete the SFX file.
Then open PbRadioTune-ReadmeFirst.txt and follow the installation instructions.
I
have written PbRadioTune for the requirements of my station.
PbRadioTune can be improved (with more frequency steps for
instance). Send your comments and suggestions to my e-Mail :
…"here"
* If you find this software useful, I would enjoy hearing about it !
* Now if you decide to use PbRadioTune regularly, please consider making a donation to the AMSAT.
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